5e3 cab speaker clearance

[Sneakers]

Hi all,
I'm nearly done with my custom walnut, paduak, and maple 5e3 cab. It's been a lot of work.





If you look at the picture from the front, you can see how I'm going to attach the speaker baffle. I have two 1/2" thick facia (with the same stripe pattern) that will be glued all the way (note the notches) across the front of the cabinet.

The cab plans I've been working off of call for a 3/8" baffle and 3/8" facia. I was planning on routing a 1" tall x 1/8" deep rabbet in my facia in order to place the speaker baffle the right distance from the front of the cabinet. However, after all this work I'm getting increasingly nervous about tear out while routing the rabbet.

I'm wondering if I should just declare victory and leave the facia 1/2" thick, placing the speaker 1/8" further back than stock. I know that the 5e3 is a pretty tight cabinet. Is it that tight? Can I get away with placing the speaker 1/8" further back, or should I route the rabbet in order to be safe? Once the facia are glued in place, that's pretty much it. I won't be able to make any adjustments.

My speaker is a Weber 12A125. I *may* go with a Weber Blue at some point in the future.

[hack]

Do The Rabbet

Eyeballing my Weber 5e3 I just built, it appears that there is perhaps 3/8'' of an inch between the speaker magnet cover and the inward 6v6 power tube. The problem area is the 12ax7 preamp tube and its extended metal spring loaded cover.

The speaker is offset as you know. Its magnet with cover fit in the space between the aformentioned hanging tubes. It is tight enough already.

You can get away without your rabbet, but it will be very close.

If you are off the mark on your offset speaker location, then you could be fubar.

Your cabinet is beautiful. It looks like you have the skills to rabbet the speaker opening hole or the baffle edges without undue tearout.

You've come this far.

[Steve Conner]

Well, if you have a problem, you could always just take the magnet cover off the speaker. Both the 12A125 and Blue Dog seem to have removable covers.

I had to do that to get an Alnico Gold into a 5E3 cabinet. There is far more than 1/8" of difference in clearance between different makes and models of 12" speakers, so I'd say that 1/8" isn't worth worrying about.